46,000 CHF
Case possibly Augsburg, circa 1670, movement by Isaac Phelippon, London, No. 350, circa 1780. Very fine and unusual 20K gold and painted on enamel pendant watch. Two-body, "bassine" with curved in edge, finely painted on enamel with a scene depicting the flight into Egypt, with the Madonna and Child, a donkey, a goat, and two angels, the inside painted with a rural landscape. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with five-minute Arabic markers, winding aperture at 4 o’clock. 42 mm., frosted gilt full plate with cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain steel balance with flat balance spring, single-footed cock. Signed on the movement. Diam. 49 mm. Notes The case features an unusual technique of enamel painting reminiscent of the German school, especially that of Augsburg. The disposition of the enamel scene, without the ring dividing the back from the band, which was typically present during the second half of the 17th century, is also unusual. It was a common practice in the eighteenth century to replace the movement in a particularly expensive or beautiful watch case, in order to take advantage of technological advances in horology. Examples can be found in numerous museums and private collections. A brief description of enameling Enamel is a form of glass. Its base is a colorless compound called flux, which is a combination of silica (obtained from fine white sand), lead, potassium or sodium salts, lime, and borax. By varying
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2002-10-19
